A known type of magnetic catch comprises two main parts, namely a magnetic assembly and a catch plate. The magnetic assembly conventionally includes a magnet flanked by a pair of pole members. The pole members extend through respective apertures in an outer casing so that they may physically contact the catch plate and thereby provide a strong magnetic grip and hence a firm locking action between the two parts of the catch.
Magnetic catches tend to be relatively simple, low cost devices which have found widespread use in numerous applications, for example in the furniture industry as door catches.
In a known version of the aforementioned type of magnetic catch the pole members are fixed relative to the casing. This fixed arrangement is disadvantageous because, unless there is substantial co-planarity between the catch plate and the abutting edges of the pole members, e.g. if the catch plate has an uneven surface, there will tend to be discontinuous or irregular contact between the pole members and the catch plate and hence the gripping effect between the two parts will be impaired.
It is also known to mount the magnet and pole members in such manner as to permit a certain amount of movement relative to the outer casing. With this arrangement the pole members can align themselves with the catch plate to provide optimal physical contact therewith thus ensuring maximum gripping action. However, a drawback with this arrangement is that the magnet and pole members are mounted only relatively loosely within the casing and hence there is a tendency for them to move about and rattle particularly when the catch plate is not in place. This is a particular disadvantage where the catch is intended for use in a mobile environment such as, for example, inside a motor vehicle where it is desirable to minimize stray noise such as rattles. For example, magnetic catches are frequently used with mobile telephones installed in vehicles for holding the handset firmly on the cradle when the handset is not in use. In this application it would clearly be distracting if the magnetic catch was prone to rattle.